In a Flash
by JudyL068
Summary: Story challenge from the Vin F&D list - Buck and JD go fishing, mayhem ensues.


Notes:

By Teri and JudyL June 6, 2013 June 2013 CYOA – Story challenge on the Vin Feedback and Discussion list. Create Your Own Adventure. This was supposed to be 5 parts written by 5 different people, everyone starting with the same first paragraph and jumping in after whichever version caught their muse. This part 3 was an orphan, so I got to finish it myself.

* * *

Part 1 by Teri

Words 337

The day had dawned bright and clear, the warm southern breeze a promise of summer which loomed just around the corner. But as was often the case in the last few weeks what was promised was not to be. By midmorning the sky was dotted with wispy clouds. By noon the wind had changed and blew from the west carrying with it the familiar odor of rain as dark clouds gathered on the horizon. By mid-afternoon the sun was being obscured by the approaching storm front, and with it the warmth of its rays, the rumble of thunder growing ever louder. With the first flash of lightning Chris motioned toward the nearby structure.

Vin and Ezra did not have to be told twice and ran toward the relative safety found within the building as the storm built around them. Chris brought up the rear and prepared to pull the door shut behind them as a gust of wind yanked it from his grasp and slammed it against the outer wall before flying closed with a resounding bang. Before there could be a repeat performance Chris slid the latch into place.

Vin watched dust devils dance merrily across the floor as the wind whistled through cracks in the walls and under the door. Then, suddenly there was a flash of light and a resounding _crack_, followed by the booming rumble of thunder loud enough to rattle the walls.

"We can hazard a guess that the old oak in the meadow took a direct strike," Ezra stated to no one in particular. "I wonder how Buck and JD are faring."

Chris nodded his agreement. "Buck sure picked a hell of a day to show JD his favorite fishing hole."

As the first ping of rain hit the tin roof Ezra moved toward the center of the building, leaned against one of the structure's wooden support poles, and casually picked a piece of lint from the cuff of his shirt as the three settled in to wait out the storm.

* * *

ATF Part 2 by Teri

Words 501

Within moments the ping of rain on the roof took on a new dimension. Inside the barn it sounded as if some demented demon was playing a drum solo above their heads.

"What the…"

"Hail," Vin explained to Ezra as he leaned back against a bale of hay and tipped his hat over his eyes. "Best jest wait it out."

"But the Jag…" Ezra sputtered as he headed for the door.

"That's what insurance is for," Chris reached out and grabbed the man by the arm, "besides, it's already too late at this point."

Ezra's moan was drowned out as the pounding grew consistently louder.

The horses whickered and stomped in their stalls but as a whole seemed to remain calm as the hail appeared to let up. Then another resounding boom of thunder shook the structure and the heavens opened as the sound of a torrential downpour could be heard.

"It would appear that someone has royally pissed off Mother Nature."

"Quit your griping it could be worse, you could be out in that mess. Now deal out that deck I know you're carrying." Chris straddled a bale of hay and waved a hand motioning for Ezra to sit. "We can play some Gin Rummy to pass the time while Rumpelstiltskin, over there, gets his beauty sleep."

Vin reacted to Chris' comment with a hand-motion of his own.

JD and Buck sat huddled under an overhang of rock as the storm raged around them. The wind continued to whip rain upon the two thoroughly drenched men.

"Come on, JD you'll love it….Best fishing hole around, he says," JD muttered.

"_He _is right here. And it is the best fishing hole in the state. Not my fault it decided to rain.

Weather gal only said a twenty percent chance this morning."

"I have my doubts it was her weather map you were looking at, Buck."

"I will agree that the station might have hired her more for her ability to boost the ratings than for her weather forecasting abilities, but you have to agree that she is one fine looking filly."

"Well that 'fine looking filly' isn't going to get our camping gear back," JD groused.

"Come on JD, look at the bright side, we could have been _in_ the truck when that tree fell."

"Buck, you are so full of it!"

JD tried to keep his face stern but it was a losing battle.

"Gin!"

"Shit!"

"That is three dollars and seventy-five cents you owe me, Chris."

"Nobody can be that lucky!"

Vin chuckled.

"Finally decided to join the living?"

"Who can sleep with ya ol' ladies bickerin'?" Vin rose and moved to open the door as handfuls of hay were tossed in his wake. "Sounds like the storm's passed."

Chris' phone chimed as the men stood surveying the damage beyond their sanctuary.

"Larabee."

"Chris, didn't Buck say he and JD were headed toward Eldorado Canyon this weekend?"

Chris felt a pang of dread at the urgency in Josiah's tone.

* * *

ATF Part 3 by Judy

Words: 501

"Yeah," Chris answered, his stomach dropping with sudden fear as he watched Ezra run his hands over a few dents in the Jag's hood. "Why?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"The storm didn't last long, but it dropped a lot of rain," Josiah explained. "There's a flash flood warning out for the canyon. Do you know where they are?" the older man sounded as worried as Chris now was.

"A couple miles up the creek that runs through Eldorado," Chris said, striding across to his black Ram truck, digging his keys out of his pocket with his free hand. "There's a small offshoot in the canyon that leads to a natural pond. Buck swears it's got the best fishing in the state," he added distractedly.

Vin and Ezra exchanged a look and jogged over to the truck. Chris had already gotten in and the engine was turning over. The two younger men scrambled to open doors and crawl in, only just getting their doors shut before Larabee threw the truck into reverse.

"A little forewarning would be appreciated," Ezra said dryly as he braced himself against the 180 degree turn and tried to buckle his seatbelt.

"Where we goin', Cowboy?" Vin asked, pulling the shoulder strap of the front passenger seat across him and snapping it into place.

Chris glanced at his men, still speaking into the phone as he drove one-handed. "We'll meet you at the parking area… Yeah, I got rope and emergency supplies in the truck, have Nathan bring the first aid kit. See you soon." He punched the disconnect button with his thumb and tossed the phone to Vin. "Try to reach Buck. He and JD may be in trouble. There's a flash flood warning for the canyon."

Vin's eyes widened and he only nodded as he complied with Chris' request. In the back seat, Ezra pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial number for JD.

After a few moments, both men sighed. Chris looked at Vin and caught Ezra's worried gaze in the rear view mirror. "Well?"

"No answer," Vin supplied.

"I encountered the same lack of response," Ezra added, worriedly.

"Damn," was Chris' only reply.

**Eldorado canyon**

"It's no good, Buck. There's just no signal down here," JD said with a sigh.

They both stared at the wreck of Buck's Red Lady. The lightening must have hit the old oak dead center for half of the tree lay comfortably upon the truck, from bumper to bumper, reminding JD of a hot dog on a bun. He held his tongue though, knowing how much Buck loved his truck and would not appreciate the humor at this time.

Buck sighed dejectedly. When the rain started, they'd headed for the truck only to see his beauty demolished. They'd dashed back to the closest overhang of rock to wait out the storm. Now they needed a way home and had no phone reception. Buck looked up the rough walls of the canyon.

"Guess we go up."

* * *

ATF Part 4 by Judy

Words: 503

Eldorado Canyon had been formed much the way its larger relative, the Grand Canyon had been, only on a smaller scale. During rainy years, a substantial stream ran through the middle, cutting out its path, deepening and widening the canyon through the centuries. On dry years, the canyon floor supported scraggly bushes and trees that spread their roots wide to seek out whatever moisture they could find.

The walls of Eldorado were not lined with gold, nor were they solid rock. Many areas of the steep canyon were made of sediments that were more easily eroded than stone. Over the years, water had washed the dirt and less hardy minerals away, leaving off-shoots of various sizes along the canyon. Some were only a few feet deep, mere pockets in the exposed rock.

Buck's favorite fishing hole lay within one of these off-shoots. Its solid stone walls reached to the top of the canyon. Within lay a shady hide-away with a deep, natural spring surrounded with trees and soft grass.

Buck and JD had driven about five miles into the canyon before parking and walking another mile to the fishing hole. Buck's suggestion of 'going up' was not as easy as it had seemed. In some areas the dirt just crumbled under their weight as they tried to scale the canyon. In others, the walls were too steep to attempt without safety gear. Several failed attempts to climb left them frustrated.

They decided to head toward the entrance of the canyon as they continued to look for a good place to climb to get reception for their phones. Even the 'entrance' they had used was merely a shallow section of the canyon wall where people had taken advantage to create a path down into Eldorado and phone reception was always questionable unless you were at the top of the canyon.

This year was a drier year, though the stream still burbled merrily over and around the rocks in its bed. JD kicked a stone into the stream as they walked, then looked at Buck who had his eyes on the wall beside them. "Hey Buck what do you get when you cross a pond and a stream?"

Buck sighed and moved a little faster, pretending he hadn't heard JD's tenth stupid joke since the rain had stopped.

"Buck?" JD called, "why is the water rising?"

Buck turned around. "JD, I'm not in the mood…" He stopped at the sight of JD standing in water, the stream they had been walking beside, visibly rising as they stared at it.

"Shit," Buck exclaimed, "JD! Climb! Now!"

JD saw Buck's panicked face and did as he was told. Both men scrambled up the nearest wall, clambering for hand and footholds as the water rose quickly below. Each man searched for a solid grip, hands and feet slipped as the sound of rushing water filled their ears.

JD's foot slipped again and only Buck's firm grasp on his arm kept him from falling into the roiling water below.

* * *

ATF Part5 by Judy

Words: 498

Chris drove as fast as he could down the dirt road that led to Eldorado Canyon. Lights flashed ahead and he realized that the rescue workers would not let them any further down the only path that led down into the canyon. He made a sharp right turn causing Vin and Ezra to exclaim sharply, he ignored them and concentrated on avoiding the off-road hazards.

There wasn't a road along the top edge of the canyon, but people did four-wheel up here and had cleared a path large enough for Chris' Ram. He glanced at the clock in his dashboard. They should be able to make it to the fishing hole, or at least the cliff above it within five minutes.

Vin looked out the window into the canyon and cursed. Muddy water filled with debris rushed along the bottom. He couldn't tell how deep it was, but it was moving fast enough that the depth really wouldn't matter. No one caught in that would be getting out alive. "Faster, Chris," he said as he scanned the water hoping not to see Buck or JD.

Ezra was on the phone with Nathan who was with Josiah. Between the noise of the flood water, the Ram's engine and the background noise on Nathan's phone, he could hardly understand a word Nathan said. Finally he disconnected and stuffed the phone into his pocket.

"I think they are on their way," he said, leaning across the seat to take his first look at the flood waters. "Nathan sounded positive, so I believe they achieved their goal." He shivered violently at the sight of the raging water.

Vin straightened suddenly. "Chris, stop!" His command got instant results as Chris slammed on the brakes sending Vin and Ezra slamming harshly against their seatbelts. "Over there!" Vin said, climbing out of the truck. He stared in horror at the sight of Buck and JD clinging to the wall of the canyon, about ¾ of the way up… on the opposite side of the rising water.

Ezra had his cell phone out in a split second. While Chris and Vin shouted futilely at their friends, he shouted instructions into his phone. After what seemed like ages, but was only a matter of minutes, another more rhythmic sound was added to the cacophony and a small helicopter appeared overhead.

Chris, Vin and Ezra watched breathlessly as Josiah maneuvered his borrowed helicopter into position above Buck and JD. Nathan lowered a rope with a harness attached. The expected argument between Buck and JD was cut short by the second rope and harness Nathan dropped on their heads.

Soon both men were strapped in and being lifted off the cliff face to safety.

Chris sighed with relief and clapped Ezra and Vin on their shoulders. "Come on boys, I can't wait to see what sort of tale Buck makes out of this."

Vin chuckled.

"Indeed," Ezra said with a grin. "Perhaps we should forewarn the ladies of Denver."

The end


End file.
